US9129270B2 - Portable E-wallet and universal card - Google Patents

Abstract

Universal cards are used in place of all the other traditional cards which a person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently disclosed subject matters relates to universal cards, mobile applications, and mobile devices such as mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), iPods, and similar mobile devices. More particularly, the subject matter relates to a universal card which can be used at any type of terminal equipped with a magnetic stripe reader or a short range wireless communication capability.

BACKGROUND

People carry many types of cards with them every day. The cards include credit cards, debit cards, drivers' licenses, transportation passes, building access cards, and many other types of cards. These cards are typically carried in a wallet or purse. A person may need to use any number of cards during the course of a day. Since people do not know which of the cards will be needed on any given day, most people carry all the cards that they may need with them every day. With the proliferation of card-capable terminals, people can end up carrying an inordinate amount of cards with them every day.

Many people also carry mobile devices with them, such as cell phones, PDAs, and many other types of mobile devices. Mobile devices increasingly have short range communication capabilities, such as near field communication (NFC) capabilities or Bluetooth capabilities.

A person that carries a wallet or purse also has to secure the contents of the wallet or purse at all times to protect against theft and fraud. If a card is lost or stolen, it can be used in unauthorized ways, leading to identification theft, fraud, or financial loss. In addition, as many transactions are increasingly performed without the need for physically possessing the card (e.g., online purchases), the mere exposure of the information found on a card to an unauthorized person is a risk to the card holder.

There is a need to reduce the number of cards carried by a person, and an opportunity to address that need using the short range communication capabilities of a mobile device which that person carries. In addition, there is a need to secure cards and card information so that cards and card information is not exposed to unauthorized people.

SUMMARY

To reduce the number of cards carried by a person, a universal card and short range communication enabled mobile device can be used in place of all the other cards which the person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card, such as emulating the magnetic stripe of the traditional card, the NFC communication of the traditional card, the radio transmission of the traditional card, or any other function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. In order to illustrate the present disclosure, various aspects of the disclosure are shown. However, the disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects shown. The following figures are included:

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system including a mobile device and a universal card.

FIG. 2 depicts a traditional card with a static magnetic stripe.

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart process for programming a universal card.

FIG. 4 depicts interactions between a mobile device and a universal card, and between a universal card and three different types of terminals.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary system including a personal computer, a mobile device, and a universal card.

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart process for managing universal card data using a mobile device.

FIG. 7 depicts a flowchart process for managing universal card data using a personal computer.

FIGS. 8A,8B,8C, and8D depict possible designs for the front of a universal card.

FIG. 9 depicts a possible design for the back of a universal card.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, an exemplary system is depicted with amobile device100 and auniversal card110. Themobile device100 can be any number of devices, including a cell phone, a PDA, an iPod, an NFC-specialized device, or any other type of mobile device. An NFC-specialized device is a device that provides for the user to be able to communicate with NFC terminals, such as making a contactless payment, and would also provide a user with a user interface for interacting with an NFC-enabled universal card. Themobile device100 may include any number of components, such as aprocessor101,memory102, apower source103, auser interface104, and ashort range transceiver106.Memory102 can be any type of computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM).Processor101 can operate on data and/or software applications available in thememory102. Theuser interface104 can include any components for user input, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch screen display, or any similar component. Theuser interface104 can also include security features on the mobile device, such as a PIN/password login, a fingerprint scanner, other biometric readers, or similar security features.

Themobile device100 also includes ane-wallet application105 which is executable by theprocessor101. Thee-wallet application105 can be pre-installed on themobile device100 by the manufacturer of themobile device100. Thee-wallet application105 can also be installed by the user either by downloading it directly to themobile device100, by downloading thee-wallet application105 over-the-air via a wireless data connection, or by inserting a memory card containing thee-wallet application105.

Thee-wallet application105 allows the user to input information about traditional cards for storage in thememory102. Information about traditional cards can include an account name, an account number, an expiration date, a card verification value 2 (CVV2), the image of the traditional card, the information which would be stored on the magnetic stripe of the traditional card, and any other information necessary to emulate the card. The information about traditional cards can also be stored in a remote location, such as a trusted service manager (not shown), which stores the information and provides the information to themobile device100 on demand via wireless data communication. In this case, thee-wallet application105 would interface with the remote location to request and receive the information.

Thee-wallet application105 can also be used to program theuniversal card110 by allowing the user to select a traditional card for the universal card to emulate. Once the user selects a card for emulation, thee-wallet application105 causes the mobile device to communicate with the universal card and to transmit the information necessary for the universal card to emulate the selected traditional card.

In another universal card embodiment, the information about the traditional card could be stored in thememory115 of theuniversal card110. In this embodiment, if theuniversal card110 has a user interface with sufficient capabilities, the user may be able to program the card by using the user interface on theuniversal card110.

Theshort range transceiver106 can be configured to communicate via any type of short range communication link, such as an NFC communication link or a Bluetooth communication link. Themobile device100 may be manufactured with theshort range transceiver106. However, not all mobile devices are initially manufactured with short range transceivers. Theshort range transceiver106 may be located on a memory card compatible with a memory slot of themobile device100. In this situation, the memory card with theshort range transceiver106 is inserted into the memory slot (not shown) of themobile device100 such that the mobile device can transmit and receive information using a short range communication link corresponding to theshort range transceiver106.

Another issue with theshort range transceiver106 may arise if theshort range transceiver106 of the mobile device and theshort range transceiver116 of theuniversal card110 are not configured for the same type of short range communication. For example,mobile device100 may have a Bluetooth transceiver, and theuniversal card110 may have an NFC transceiver. In such a situation, theshort range transceiver106 would be a two-type transceiver, capable of communicating via both types of short range communication. In the example above, theshort range transceiver106 would be capable of receiving information via the Bluetooth link from themobile device100, and also capable of sending that information via the NFC link to theuniversal card110. Theshort range transceiver106 would also be capable of communicating in the opposite direction, receiving information via the NFC link from theuniversal card110 and sending that information via the Bluetooth link to themobile device100. One example of a two-type transceiver is a MyMax sticker produced and sold by TwinLinx of France. The MyMax sticker can be attached to the housing of a Bluetooth-enabled device, can communicate with the device via a Bluetooth connection, and can communicate via an NFC connection with an NFC-enable device.

Also depicted inFIG. 1 is auniversal card110. Theuniversal card110 may include components such as adisplay112, apower source113, aprocessor114, andmemory115. Each of those components are similar in function to the corresponding components of themobile device100, except that the component of theuniversal card110 may be physically configured differently so as to fit in the shape of theuniversal card110. For example, thedisplay112 of theuniversal card110 may be integrated intouniversal card110 via hot lamination processes and standard inlay constructs so that theuniversal card110 will be the approximate shape and size of a traditional credit card and generally compliant with ISO 7810 standards.

Theuniversal card110 may also include a dynamicmagnetic stripe111 which can be configured to emulate the magnetic stripe of any traditional card. The standard magnetic stripe format is defined by ISO/IEC 7810:2003, and its extensions, including ISO/IEC 7811-1:2002 through ISO/IEC 7811-9:2008, and ISO/IEC 7813:2006, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Traditional magnetic stripes include a series of tiny bar magnets which can be magnetized in either a north- or south-pole direction. When the polarity of the bars aligns in the same direction, the card is blank. To write data to the card, the polarity of a bar is reversed so that the north pole is facing the north pole of the adjacent bar (N-N) or the south pole is facing the south pole (S-S). This causes a change in the magnetic field that can be detected by a card reader. The two possible flux reversals, N-N or S-S, can represent two different information states, which corresponds nicely to the binary system (ones and zeros) used by computers.

Magnetic stripes have three standard track layouts: Track 1, Track 2, and Track 3. Referring toFIG. 2, depicted is atraditional card201 with a staticmagnetic stripe202. The static magnetic stripe includes each of Tracks 1, 2, and 3, shown as203,204, and205, respectively. Each of the track layouts are 0.110 inches high. Track 1 has 210 bits per inch (bpi) with room for 79 characters of 7 bits each (6 data bits, plus 1 parity bit). Track 2 has 75 bpi with room for 40 characters of 5 bits each (4 data bits, plus 1 parity bit). Track 3 has 210 bpi with room for 107 numeric digits. Tracks 1 and 2 have a standard for the data content contained in each track. Those standards are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. In contrast, Track 3 does not have a standard for the data content in the track, and can be used for proprietary data formats.

TABLE 1
Standard Track 1 Data Content in Magnetic Stripe of Financial Cards

Data Field	Content of Data Field
Start sentinel	1 byte (the % character)
Format code	1 byte alpha (“A” is reserved for proprietary use of the card
	issuer; “B” is a standard for financial institutions; “C”-“M”
	are reserved for use by ANSI; and “N”-“Z” are
	available for use by individual card issuers)
Primary Account number	Up to 19 characters
Separator	1 byte (the {circumflex over ( )} character)
Country code	3 bytes (optional)
Surname	Variable number of bytes
Surname separator	1 byte (the/character)
First name or initial	Variable number of bytes
Space	1 byte (used only when more data follows the first name or
	initial)
Middle name or initial	Variable number of bytes
Period	1 byte (the. character; used only when followed by a title)
Title	Variable number of bytes (optional)
Separator	1 byte (the {circumflex over ( )} character)
Expiration date or separator	4 bytes (YYMM format), or a 1-byte separator if non-expiring
	card
Discretionary data	Variable number of bytes (optional; can be used by the card
	issuer)
End sentinel	1 byte (the ? character)
Longitudinal redundancy check	1 byte

TABLE 2
Standard Track 2 Data Content in Magnetic Stripe of Financial Cards

Data Field	Content of Data Field
Start sentinel	1 byte (the; character)
Primary account number	Up to 19 bytes
Separator	1 byte (the = character)
Country code	3 bytes (optional)
Expiration date or separator	4 bytes (YYMM format), or a 1-byte separator if non-expiring
	card
Discretionary data	Variable number of bytes (optional; can be used by the card
	issuer)
End sentinel	1 byte (the ? character)
Longitudinal redundancy check	1 byte

Traditional financial cards from the banking industry, such as credit cards and debit cards, typically use both Tracks 1 and 2, with Track 2 using format code “A” or “B”. Some traditional credit and debit cards do not have Track 3 physically present on the cards as its data is not necessary for the cards' use. Eliminating Track 3 can reduce the physical size of the magnetic stripe. Traditional financial cards usually include all of the data listed in Tables 1 and 2.

Traditional gift cards typically use Track 2 with format code “B”. Those cards usually have a unique account number, but usually do not contain the name of the user in the track. Some traditional gift cards can include the amount available at the time of the original purchase in the magnetic track, and some will store the current balance on the card so that the card can be used at any terminal. However, most traditional gift cards do not have any value data stored on the card; the card merely stores the unique account number, and each terminal at the store is connected to a database, where the value of the card is associated with the unique account number.

Traditional loyalty cards typically use Track 2 with format code “B”. Like traditional gift cards, traditional loyalty cards typically include only a unique account number without storing any data about the user or any monetary value associated with the card. Most terminals which accept loyalty cards are connected to a central database which associates data about the user with the unique account number. Some traditional loyalty cards also include a barcode printed on the face of the card so that the card can be read by a barcode scanner. The barcode is representative of the unique account number of the user, and typically has no other data encoded in the barcode itself.

Many driver's licenses issued in the United States have a magnetic stripe on them. Driver's licenses typically include Tracks 1, 2, and 3. The data content of Tracks 1 and 2 are shown in Table 3. The data content of Track 3 is not entirely standardized, but Track 3 typically includes at least some of the following data categories: template number, security number, postal code, class, restrictions, endorsements, sex, height, weight, hair color, eye color, ID number, error correction, and security field.

TABLE 3
Standard Track 1 and Track 2 Data Content of US Driver's Licenses

Track 1 Data Fields	Content of Data Field
Start sentinel	1 character (usually the % character)
State or province	2 characters
City	Up to 13 characters (variable length)
Field separator	1 character (usually the {circumflex over ( )} character),
	unless the City field is maxed out
Last name	Variable length
Field separator	1 character (usually the $ character)
First name	Variable length
Field separator	1 character (usually the $ character)
First name	Variable length
Field separator	1 character (usually the {circumflex over ( )} character)
Home address	Variable length (usually house number and street)
Field separator	1 character (usually the {circumflex over ( )} character)
Discretionary data	Variable length
Start sentinel	1 character (usually the {circumflex over ( )} character)
Track 2 Data Fields	Content of Data Field
ISO issuer ID number	6 character
License/ID number	8 character
Field separator	1 character (usually the = character)
Expiration date	4 characters (usually YYMM format)
Birth date	8 characters (usually YYYYMMDD format)
License/ID number	Variable length
overflow

Traditional access cards are used to provide access to the card holder to a building or other secure area. Traditional access cards typically use either a magnetic stripe or a radio transmitter to convey information to a terminal. When using a magnetic stripe, the data encoded on the magnetic stripe typically includes the user's name, an ID number associated with the user, and an access level relating to where and when the user is allowed access. When using a radio transmitter, the access card typically only includes an ID number associated with the user, and the access terminal is connected to a database which contains information about the user and the access level based on the ID number. Radio transmitters in access cards can either be “active” radio transmitters (powered by a power source on the card), or “passive” radio transmitters (powered by the radio receiver in the terminal when the card is brought into close proximity with the terminal).

Referring back toFIG. 1,universal card110 can also include aradio communications apparatus117 to emulate an access card which uses a radio communications apparatus.Radio communications apparatus117 can either be a passive radio transmitter, or an active radio transmitter powered bypower source113. The ID number transmitted by theradio communications apparatus117 can be programmed so that the universal card can programmed to emulate different traditional access cards. When programming theuniversal card110 to emulate an access card, it may be desirable to verify the identity of the user prior to programming theuniversal card110. Examples of user verification are discussed below.

Other types of traditional cards exist and can be emulated byuniversal card110. Examples of dynamic magnetic stripes are shown in US Patent Application Publication 2005/0194452, applied for by Nordentoft et al, and 2007/0189581, applied for by Nordentoft et al. In these examples, individually inducible transducer coils are positioned within a universal card and are configurable to emulate the static magnets in a traditional magnetic stripe. The dynamicmagnetic stripe111 of the universal card can be configured to emulate any traditional static magnetic stripe, including any data or data format used by a static magnetic stripe. Thus, even if a data content format is not discussed here, dynamicmagnetic stripe111 would be capable of emulating the data content format not discussed here.

Universal card110 may include abiometric security device118, such as a fingerprint reader, a microphone for voice identification, or other device for input during biometric identification. The use of such biometric identification for security is discussed below.

Referring now toFIG. 3, depicted is a flowchart process for programming a universal card. To initiate power on the universal card (UC) the user may be required to take an action that may include pushing a button on card to turn it “on”, is tapped301, or any other similar technique. The universal card's power is verified302. If the power is not on, the user will repeat the action to initiatepower301 on the universal card again. If the power is on, the universal card and the mobile device are paired303, establishing the short range communication link120 (as shown inFIG. 1). The pairing is verified304, with thepairing303 attempted again if the pairing is not successful. Once paired, an e-wallet application on the mobile device is automatically launched305. If the e-wallet application is not automatically launched306, it can be manually launched307 on the mobile device.

Before allowing access to view, change or modify the financial data associated with thee-wallet program105 on themobile device100 or on theuniversal card110, the user must first be authenticated308. Authentication can take a number of forms. One form of authentication can be verification of something that the user has in their possession. In this context, one security feature could be that themobile device100 can only be paired with oneuniversal card110, and theuniversal card110 will only pair to onemobile device100. For example, if a user'smobile device100 is lost or stolen, theuniversal card110 will not pair with any other mobile device. Thus, any personal card information stored on theuniversal card110 will not be accessible by another mobile device.

Another form of user authentication can be verification of something that the user knows. This can be a personal identification number (PIN), a unique identification of the user (such as a social security number), a fact about the user (such as the maiden name of the user's mother), a password, or anything else that the user can input. Yet another form of user authentication is something about the user. This can include a fingerprint, a voice identification, or other verifiable biometric.

While each of these forms of authentication can alone authenticate the user, it may be desirable to require at least two forms of authentication to ensure increased security. For example, themobile device100 and theuniversal card110 may authenticate each other as being paired; however, this fact alone does not ensure that the person operating the devices is the authentic user. In this case, it may be advantageous to require the user to enter a password to verify that the user is authentic. In some instances, the issuer of the card may impose additional requirement depending on the circumstances that the card is being used. For example, if the card is being used to make a payment over a certain value, if the card is being used in a foreign country, or if the card issuer has reason to suspect that the use of the card is unauthorized, the issuer may require another level of authentication. In this case, if the initial authentication included pairing authentication and a user password, the issuer may require an additional biometric authentication.

Any user input required for authentication can be entered into either theuniversal card110 or themobile device100. Theuniversal card110 may have a user interface (not shown), an optionalbiometric security device118, or other input mechanism which allows the user to input the required value. Similarly themobile device100 may have auser interface104, an optional biometric security device (not shown), or other input mechanism.

Once theuser authentication308 occurs (e.g., a password is entered), the authentication is verified309 (the entered password is verified). If the authentication was not successful,user authentication308 can be attempted again. If the authentication is successful, the user is prompted to select310 an action for programming the universal card.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, it should be clear to a person skilled in the art that radio interfaces120,410,430,450,510, and520 may be subject to eavesdropping or other intrusive information breaches can be protected by data encryption technologies public key, private key and other known and standard methods of radio protection.

The universal card can be programmed in many ways, including three distinct modes. First, the universal card can be programmed in a “dummy card” mode, where the universal card does not itself store any of the information required for emulation of a traditional card. In this case, the user must use the mobile device to program the universal card for each use of the card. Once the universal card is used once as programmed, it would not retain that programmed setting, and it would require re-programming if it were to be used again. Second, the universal card can be programmed in a “temporary card” mode, where the universal card stores only one set of information required for emulation. The user utilizes the mobile device to program the card to emulate a specific card either for a set amount of time or number of transactions. Once programmed in this mode, the universal card would remain programmed to emulate that one card for the set time or the number of transactions. If the user wanted to change the universal card to emulate a different card, the user would need to reconnect the mobile device to reprogram the card. Third, the universal card can be programmed in a “default card” mode, where the universal card always emulates a specific card, unless programmed otherwise. In this mode, the information of the default card is saved in the universal card and the universal card is always configured to emulate the default card, unless the user re-programs the universal card to temporarily act as another card or to change to a new default card.

It may also be possible to program the universal card in different modes for the various ways in which the universal card can be used. For example, a universal card which has both a dynamic magnetic stripe and an NFC transceiver can be used to interface with both magnetic stripe readers and NFC-equipped terminals. The user may use the universal card as a public transportation pass which makes fare payments to an NFC-equipped terminal, and as a credit card with a magnetic stripe reader. In such a case the user may program the NFC transceiver to operate in a “default card” mode, always capable of emulating the public transportation pass, but program the dynamic magnetic stripe in a “dummy card” mode where the user must program the universal card with a specific credit card to emulate before each transaction.

Once the user selects310 an action for programming, the data required for the programming action is determined311. In order for the universal card to be programmed to emulate a magnetic stripe of a payment card, the universal card would need all the data required to be in the dynamic required stripe. The data could include all the information needed to fill Track 1 and Track 2, as discussed above and shown in Tables 1 and 2. The required data may be stored on the mobile device, the universal card, or a remote location such as a trusted service manager. If it is determined312 that the required data is not available, the user is prompted to select310 another action for programming.

If the required data is available, the universal card is programmed314 to emulate the selected card with the required data. If the required data is stored only on the mobile device, theprogramming314 will include transmitting the required data to the universal card via the short range communication link. If the required data is stored on the universal card, theprogramming314 need only include configuring the appropriate device (e.g., dynamic magnetic stripe, short range transceiver, radio transmitter, etc) properly for emulation.

Referring toFIG. 4, depicted are interactions between themobile device100 and theuniversal card110, and between theuniversal card110 and three different types ofterminals400,420, and440. As discussed above, themobile device100 communicates with theuniversal card110 via a short range communications link120 to program theuniversal card110 for emulation of traditional cards. Theuniversal card110, in turn, can communicate withterminals400,420, and440 in a number of ways. It is important to note that, onceuniversal card110 is programmed, the short range communications link120 between themobile device100 and theuniversal card110 need not be established for theuniversal card110 to interact with theterminals400,420, and440.

Terminal400 is equipped with amagnetic stripe reader401 which can read the dynamicmagnetic stripe111 of theuniversal card110 when it is swiped410 through themagnetic stripe reader401. Themagnetic stripe reader401 can read any of the data written to the dynamicmagnetic stripe111.Terminal420 is equipped with ashort range transceiver421 which can establish a shortrange communication link430 between theuniversal card110 and the terminal420. Any required data can be transmitted from theuniversal card110 to the terminal420 via the shortrange communication link430.Terminal440 is equipped with a radio receiver241 which can receive data sent from theradio transmitter117 of theuniversal card110. Any required data can be transmitted from theuniversal card110 to the terminal440 via theradio link450.

One potential problem with thee-wallet software105 on themobile device100 is that large amounts of information may need to be inputted into thee-wallet software105. Theuser interface104 may not be convenient for entry of the large amounts of information. Also, management of the information in thee-wallet software105 may also not be convenient via theuser interface104. To address this issue, apersonal computer500 can be used.

Referring toFIG. 5, depicted is an exemplary system including thepersonal computer500, themobile device100, and theuniversal card110. The personal computer can include aprocessor501,memory502, apower source503, auser interface504, thee-wallet software505, and acommunications port506. Theprocessor501,memory502,power source503, anduser interface504 are all similar in function to the corresponding components of themobile device100, as discussed above. Thee-wallet software505 can be the same or similar toe-wallet software105 of themobile device110. The user may enter data and manage the card data ine-wallet software505 in the same way the user would usee-wallet software105.

When the user enters data or makes changes in the management ofe-wallet software505, thee-wallet software105 on themobile device100 must be updated to reflect the new and/or changed data. In order to make these updates, acommunication link510 can be established between thecommunication port506 of thepersonal computer500 and thecommunication port107 of themobile device100. Thecommunication link510 can be any type of wired or wireless link, including a serial cable, a wired or wireless local area network (LAN), a wired or wireless wide area network (WAN), a short range communication link, a radio link, or any similar connection. Alternatively, acommunication link520 can be established between ashort range transceiver507 of thepersonal computer500 and theshort range transceiver106 of themobile device100.

Once a communication link is established between thepersonal computer500 and themobile device100, the data ine-wallet software505 and thee-wallet software105 can be synchronized. It is important to note that the shortrange communication link120 between theuniversal card110 and themobile device100 need not be active for thelink510 or thelink520 to be established between thepersonal computer500 and themobile device100.

Referring toFIG. 6, depicted is a flowchart process for managing universal card data usingmobile device100. The e-wallet software is launched601 on the mobile device. Before the user is given access to the e-wallet software, the user must first login and be authenticated602. Authentication here can be the same or similar to the forms of authentication discussed above. A determination is made whether the authentication is successful603. If not successful, the user is prompted to login and authenticate602 again. If the authentication is successful, the user is allowed to control604 the e-wallet software a user interface of the mobile device.

Thecontrol604 of the e-wallet software includes anything that the user may need to do to prepare for programming the universal card or to program the universal card. The user can enter data associated with a traditional card or with a financial account. The user can manage the entered data such as by naming a particular account or traditional card, setting a default card, or any other management action needed.

After the user enters data, the data is verified605. The verification can include determining whether sufficient data has been entered for emulation of a traditional card, or whether the data entered matches the data of the card issuer. If the data is not verified, the user is allowed to reenterdata604. If the data is verified, the data is encrypted606 for storage. Encrypting the data for storage is another form of security, as someone that gains access to the encrypted data cannot recover the entered data without knowing how to decrypt the encrypted data. After the data is encrypted, the encrypted data can be stored607 to the mobile device.

Adetermination608 is made as to whether the encrypted data should be uploaded to the personal computer. If the encrypted data will not be uploaded, no further action is required. If the encrypted data will be uploaded to the personal computer, the communication connection between the mobile device and the personal computer is either established or checked609. If the connection to the computer is not verified610, another attempt to establish609 the connection can be attempted. Once the connection to the computer is verified610, the encrypted data can be uploaded and saved611 to the personal computer.

Referring toFIG. 7, depicted is a flowchart process for managing universal card data usingpersonal computer500. Many of the steps are similar to those depicted inFIG. 6. The PC version of the e-wallet software is launched701. The user goes through login andauthentication702 which is verified703. Once the user authentication is verified, the user can control704 the e-wallet software via a user interface of the personal computer. The control on the personal computer is the same as the control on the mobile device, except that the user may prefer to use the user interface of the personal computer to the user interface of the mobile device.

Data entered on the personal computer can be verified705. Once verified, the data is encrypted706 for storage. The encrypted data is stored707 on the personal computer. Adetermination708 is made as to whether the encrypted data should be uploaded to the mobile. If the encrypted data will not be uploaded to the mobile device, the no further action is required. If the encrypted data will be uploaded, the communication connection between the mobile device and the personal computer is either established or checked709. If the connection to the computer is not verified710, another attempt to establish709 the connection can be attempted. Once the connection to the computer is verified710, the encrypted data can be uploaded and saved711 to the mobile device.

The visible sides of a universal card may be designed in a number of ways to provide a user with access to information or components of the universal card.FIG. 8A depicts one design of the front of auniversal card800. The front of theuniversal card800 can have abrand area801 which can be used to identify the brand of the universal card issuer, the brand of a wireless carrier, the brand of a sponsor, any other brand, or any combination of those brands. The front of theuniversal card800 can have the name of thecard holder802 on the face of the card to identify the user. The front of theuniversal card800 can also have adisplay803 which could be used at various times to display an account number, an expiration date, a card issuer logo, any other information, or any combination of these types of information. The front of theuniversal card800 could also include abiometric security reader804, such as a fingerprint reader, which is used to authenticate the user.

FIGS. 8B,8C, and8D depict other possible designs for the front of a universal card.FIG. 8B depicts the front of auniversal card810 which is similar to the front ofuniversal card800, including abrand area811, the name of thecard holder812, adisplay813, and abiometric security reader814. The front of the front of theuniversal card810 can also have anEMV chip815 which is a required component of cards in some markets including some European markets.FIG. 8C depicts the front of auniversal card820 which is similar to the front ofuniversal card800, including abrand area821, the name of thecard holder822, and abiometric security reader824; however, the front ofuniversal card820 does not include a display.FIG. 8B depicts the front of auniversal card830 which similar to the front ofuniversal card800, including abrand area831, the name of thecard holder832, adisplay833, and abiometric security reader834. The front ofuniversal card830 also shows that the name of thecard holder832 and thedisplay833 can be located in various locations on the front of a universal card.

FIG. 9 depicts one design of the back of auniversal card900. The back ofuniversal card900 can include a dynamicmagnetic stripe901 for interacting with a terminal, asignature area902 which displays the signature of the card holder, and abrand area903. Similar to thebrand area801 described above,brand area903 can be used to identify the brand of the universal card issuer, the brand of a wireless carrier, the brand of a sponsor, any other brand, or any combination of those brands.

The various techniques described herein may be implemented with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the disclosed embodiments, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed embodiments. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computer will generally include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device and at least one output device. One or more programs are preferably implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.

The foregoing description has set forth various embodiments of the apparatus and methods via the use of diagrams and examples. While the present disclosure has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating there from. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims. Additional features of this disclosure are set forth in the following claims.

Claims (16)

I claim:

1. A mobile device for instructing a universal card to emulate a traditional card for interacting with a terminal, the traditional card comprising a static data communication mechanism configured to pass card data to the terminal during a transaction, the mobile device comprising:

a first processor, first memory, first power source, and first user interface;

a first short range transceiver configured to connect to the universal card via a short range communication link;

an e-wallet application executable by the first processor and configured to receive, via the first user interface, a user selection for instructing the universal card to emulate the traditional card, wherein the universal card comprises a dynamic data communication mechanism, a second power source, a second processor, a second memory, and a second short range transceiver, and wherein the dynamic data communication mechanism comprises a dynamic magnetic stripe; and

wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit, to the universal card via the short range communication link, the card data and instructions for the universal card to configure the dynamic data communication mechanism, wherein the dynamic communication mechanism emulates the static data communication mechanism of the traditional card using the card data.

2. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the first short range transceiver is a near field communication (NFC) transceiver.

3. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the first short range transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for the universal card to configure the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate a static magnetic stripe of the traditional card.

5. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for the universal card to configure the second short range transceiver to emulate a short range transmitter of the traditional card.

6. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the dynamic data communication mechanism further comprises a radio communications apparatus, and wherein the instructions comprise instructions for the universal card to configure the radio communications apparatus to emulate a radio communications apparatus of the traditional card.

7. The mobile device ofclaim 4, wherein the dynamic magnetic stripe is configured to pass the card data to a magnetic stripe reader of a terminal.

8. The mobile device ofclaim 5, wherein the second short range transceiver is configured to pass the card data to a third short range transceiver of a terminal.

9. The mobile device ofclaim 6, wherein the radio communications apparatus is configured to pass the card data to a radio receiver of a terminal.

10. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the e-wallet application can be used to manage card data associated with a plurality of traditional cards.

11. The mobile device ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a first communication port configured to communicate with a personal computer via a communication link;

wherein the personal computer comprises:

a second communication port configured to communicate with the mobile device via the communication link, and

a PC e-wallet application configured to receive user inputs to manage the universal card;

wherein the personal computer is configured to transmit the card data to the mobile device via the communication link.

12. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to encrypt the card data prior to transmitting the card data to the universal card.

13. A universal card for emulating a traditional card, the traditional card comprising a static data communication mechanism configured to pass card data to a terminal during a transaction, the universal card comprising:

a first short range transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device via a short range communication link;

a power source, processor, and memory; and

a dynamic data communication mechanism configured to be instructed to emulate the static data communication mechanism of the traditional card to pass the card data to the terminal, wherein the dynamic data communication mechanism comprises a dynamic magnetic stripe;

wherein the universal card is configured to communicate with the mobile device to:

receive the card data from the mobile device, and

receive instructions for the universal card to configure the dynamic data communication mechanism, wherein the dynamic communication mechanism emulates the static data communication mechanism of the traditional card using the card data; and

wherein the universal card is configured to authenticate a user of the universal card before configuring the dynamic data communication mechanism.

14. The universal card ofclaim 13, wherein the dynamic data communication mechanism further comprises one of the following: a second short range transceiver, and a radio communications apparatus.

15. The universal card ofclaim 13, wherein the first short range transceiver is an NFC transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver.

16. The universal card ofclaim 13, wherein authentication of the user comprises at least one of the following:

verification of an identification of the mobile device;

receipt of a predetermined input from the user;

verification of a biometric characteristic of the user; and

verification that the mobile device and the universal card are in physical proximity sufficient to establish the short range communication link.

Images